Visayan Knife With Dogs Head Hilt

[Robert]

Hello everyone, Just wanted to share this interesting little knife/dagger that I picked up recently thanks to another forum member doing a little spring cleaning. It has a chisel ground blade, a elongated octagonal horn guard, brass ferrule with a well carved wooden hilt in the shape of a grinning dog. The ferrule itself looks like it could have been made from a large caliber shell casing. Any information or comments on this piece would be very welcome. Thank you.

Best,
Robert

[Sajen]

Hello Robert,

interesting little fellow! What you think how old it is? 1930-1945? How long is it?

Regards,
Detlef

[Battara]

I recognize this Visayan piece. I still wonder what the "dog" symbolizes.

[VANDOO]

PERHAPS ITS A DOG OR PERHAPS ITS A BAT ? THE BAT IS OFTEN USED IN SOME AREAS FOR SWORD POMMELS AND A DOG OFTEN ACCOMPANIES A WARRIOR IN MANY OLDER WOOD CARVINGS. A DOG POMMEL WOULD BE LESS TRADITIONAL AND MORE UNCOMMON THAN THE FRUIT BAT. THE BLADE IS WHAT I USUALLY REFER TO AS A BOWIE TYPE SO THERE ARE SEVERAL INFLUENCES INVOLVED IN THIS KNIFE WHICH MAKES IT INTERESTING AND PERHAPS UNIQUE. I SUSPECT THIS IS POST WW2 AND PERHAPS MADE BY SOMEONE WHO MAY NEVER HAVE SEEN OR ATE FRUIT BAT WHICH IS OFTEN CALLED A FLYING FOX AND SOMEWHAT DOG LIKE.

[Dimasalang]

I think it is the infamous chupacabra.

[josh stout]

I think fruit bat is a good call. I would not have thought of it, but allowing for artistic license and the wide variety of bats, it seems a better fit than a dog.

[Robert]

Hello everyone, and thank you all for your interest in this unique piece.

Detlef, The knife has a total length of 13-1/2 inches while the blade is 9 inches long, 1 inch at its widest and is slightly under 3/16 thick. I would agree with your dating on that this was made sometime in the second quarter of the 20th century, 1930-1950. I should have added this information in my original posting.

Jose, I'm not sure either on what it represents either and was hoping to find that answer here. I think that Lorenz once posted something about dogs being revered in some areas of the Philippines, but no luck so far in finding the information. I think that I will drop him an email to see what his thoughts are on this piece.

Vandoo, I am pretty sure that this representation is of a dogs and not a bats head. I searched through many photos of fruit bats/flying foxes as well as other bats trying to find one that might match this with no luck. While the ears do seem to be somewhat batlike the nose and muzzle of this are a no match as far as bats go but do seem to match that of a canine. These are just my observation though and could very easily be wrong. On the blade, I have seen some tenegre with blades that are similar in style to this ones posted here on the forum.

Dimasalang, You might very well be right.